Mechanical movement



May 10, 1949.

Filed Feb. 15, 1946 J. D. DRY 2,469,500

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JOHN D. DRY.

ATTORNEY.

May 10, 1949. J.'D. DRY 2,469,500

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Feb. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iii :2 11

1 E .9. 1' I I I L -i INVENTOR. JOHN D. DRY

ATTOENE Y Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MECHANICAL MOVEMENT John D. Dry, Bridgeport, Conn. Application February 13, 1946, Serial No. 647,370 2 Claims. (01. 25485) This invention relates to a mechanical movement.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical movement wherein a feed screw may be used to secure rectilinear movement of a carriage during a portion of its travel and transverse swinging movement for another portion of its travel.

A further object is to provide a mechanical movement wherein a feed screw may be used in combination with a tubular casing, which casing is provided with means for guiding a carriage operatively connected with said screw through longitudinal and transverse movement.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of improved instrumentalities whereby a carriage may be moved in one direction and then moved in a direction at right angles to the first direction.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanical movement whereby the swinging of a carriage in an arc and the moving of the carriage rectilinearly is performed in one continuous operation.

The foregoing objects and many other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description progresses. It is to be clearly understood that the present disclosure is intended as exemplary only of the invention and that the drawings show merely one form of apparatus to illustrate the use of the mechanical movement in accomplishing the intended results.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing one application of the invention to a lifting jack.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a modified form of lifting jack, utilizing the invention, and providing two longitudinal paths for the carriage.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view partly in section, showing a still further modified application of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a further modification of the invention, showing the column partly in section.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken on line 1-4 of Fig. 6.

Figs. 8 and 9 are plan views illustrating a use of an embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the mechanical movement consists in a lead screw, operating within a cylindrical casing which is provided with a longitudinal slot and one or more transverse slots communicating with the longitudinal slot. In the figures shown here, the mechanical movement is illustrated as applied to a lifting jack. Obviously, the mechanical movement can be put to many other uses, but the one illustration of the use of the invention will be sufficient to indicate its versatility.

In Fig. 1, the jack I0 is provided with a cylindrical housing ll within which is arranged a lead screw l2 journalled at its lower end in a bearing I3 of the base I4, and journalled at its upper end in the bearing I5. Extending from the upper end of the lead screw is a reduced end 16, on which may be affibied a miter gear I! for meshing engagement with a miter gear l8. The gear I! may be secured to the extending end l6 by a set screw or other fastening means IS. The bevel gear I8 is keyed or otherwise secured to a stub shaft 20 which is journalled in a bearing at the upper end of bracket 2| which is secured to or integral with the cylindrical housing H. A crank handle 22 may be secured to the end of the stub shaft 20 by means of the set screw 23.

Threadedly engaged on the lead screw 12 is a carriage 24, which may be composed of a threaded boss or hub section 25, which is provided with an integral extending arm 26. This arm extends through a longitudinal slot 21 provided in the casing or housing II.

The slot 21 may extend substantially the full length of the housing and at its end may terminate in a transverse slot or opening 28 which, obviously, is in open communication with the longitudinal slot 21. The height of the transverse slot 28 is greater than the thickness of the extending arm 25, so that this arm may have free passage through said transverse slot when the arm is swung, as will hereinafter appear. At the upper end of the lead screw, just below the upper terminus of the slot 21, there is provided a stop pin '29 so as to limit the upward movement of the carriage 24.

In operation, it will be seen that manipulation of the crank arm 22 causes rotation of the lead screw l2, and thus causes a raising or lowering of the carriage or platform 24. While the carriage is being raised or lowered, the walls constituting the edges of the slot 21 guide the carriage in a single rectilinear path. However, when the extending arm 26 of the carriage clears the one wall of the longitudinal slot 21, it will be swung in an are into the transverse slot.

Since the lead screw, as shown in Fig. l, is provided with a righthand thread, and the transverse slot is extending to the right, it would be necessary to reverse the direction of the lead screw to swing the carriage transversely through the transverse slot 28. Obviously, if the transverse slot extended to the left of the longitudinal slot, then it would not be necessary to reverse the direction of rotation of the lead screw but continued rotation would carry the carriage around the arcuate path through the transverse slot. This transverse slot is provided for the purpose of securing a swinging or arcuate movement of the carriage when it has reached the limit of its longitudinal movement.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the general structure is in all respects similar to the jack shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that in this modification there are provided two longitudinal slots as 27 and 21a. In this case, the carriage may be elevated to the limit stop 29a, and if it is desired to swing the arm 25 to traverse the longitudinal slot 2711, the direction of rotation of the lead screw i2 is reversed, whereupon the arm 28 will swin toward the right, in 3, until the arm hits the wall 39], defining the edgeoi the slot 21a, at which time further rotation of the lead screw will cause the carriage to be moved downwardly through the lot Zia.

If it be desired to bring the carriage up to the top of the slot 270:, and to swing it again into the slot 2'!, it will be obvious that if the feed screw is rotated in the proper direction, when the carriage 24 reache the abutment or limit stop 253a, the carriage will, of itself, during the continuous movement of the lead screw, be carried around to the left through the transverse slot 28d. until it reaches the lefthand wall of the slot 22', at which time, the direction of rotation of the feed screw is again reversed to move the carriage down through the slot 27. However, reversal of rota-- tion would here tend to swing the carriage back to the transverse slot, and it is necessary to place in its path an abutment to prevent this movement. To this end, there is provided a slide which may be moved upwardly to provide a continuation of the wall of the slot 21.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the jack or device is provided with a plurality of transverse slots 32. While these slots have been shown as all extending to the right of the longitudinal slot 2%, it will be obvious that they may, with equal facility, be arranged to extend to the left or" sad slot. In this instance, instead of using the fixed limit stop, there may be provided an adjustable limit stop such as the nut 33 threaded on the lead screw, this nut 33 being provided with a set screw or other securing means 34. The nut may be adjusted to serve to stop the carriage opposite any one of the transverse slots, in an obvious manner.

One simple example of a use to which this mechanical movement may be put, when used on a jack, is illustrated in Figs. 69, inclusive. Difiiculty has been frequently experienced in replacing upon the tracks, mine cars which have jumped 01f the track. In Figs. 8 and 9, there are illustrated more or less diagrammatically, the

It i desirable, however, when using such a jack,

to provide some sliding movement between the jack platform or carriage and the car. To this end, there is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, a simple means for accomplishing this result. An arm 26a is provided with side grooves or tracks 35, within which run the rollers 01' wheels 36 provided on a trolley member 37. It will thus be seen that the trolley member 31' is free to move longitudinally of the carrier arm Zita.

The invention may be applied to other specific forms than those shown and described, so that the same is intended as illustrative and not as limitative. The invention is rather defined by the appended claims.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A lifting jack for vertically and horizontally moving an object and comprising a base, a feed screw vertically journalled in said base, a housing surrounding said feed screw and secured to said base, said housing being provided with a longitudinal slot and having a transverse slot communicating with said longitudinal slot, 2. support threadedly engaged with said feed screw for movement therealong, said support extending outwardly through said slot, and a stop element secured to said feed screw adjacent one of the walls of said transverse slot, whereby said support, when reaching said stop element, will upon further rotation of the feed screw, cause the support to move laterally through said transverse slot, and a trolley freely movable along said support.

2. A lifting jack for vertically and horizontally moving an object and comprising a base, a feed screw vertically journalled in said base, a housing surrounding said feed screw and secured to said base, said housing being provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots, a transverse slot interconnecting the longitudinal slots, a support threadedly engaged with said feed screw for movement therealong, said support extending outwardly through said slots, and a stop element secured to said feed screw adjacent a wall of said transverse slot whereby when the support is caused to move vertically through either of the longitudinal slots, it will be caused to swing laterally to transfer from one to the other of said longitudinal slots.

JOHN D. DRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,163,786 Smith Dec. 14, 1915 1,559,910 Peterson Nov. 3, 1925 2,148,932 Fisher Feb. 28, 1939 

